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Today could see the highest
temperatures of the warm spell so far, with the mercury predicted to
rise to 33C (91F) in the Midlands or the south of England, topping the
32.2C recorded in London last Wednesday.

Splash: A boy jumps in the sea in Brigton - The longest heatwave for seven years could come to an end this week as the heat and humidity look set to give way to lightning and downpours

Nearly record-breaking: Despite the prolonged heatwave, temperatures tomorrow are unlikely to top the high of 36.5C recorded in Surrey in July 2006

Relaxing day: A pair of day-trippers soak up on the rays in Southsea, Portsmouth

It is also expected to be extremely humid, with warm air moving into Britain from Spain and France.

A ‘big change’ however is expected
tomorrow as the warm, humid air that has been covering Britain clashes
with an incoming cold air front, leading to thunderstorms and lower
temperatures.

It had been thought that this July
could be one of the driest on record, with Met Office figures revealing
only 4.9mm of rain had fallen across the UK.

Making the most of the weather: A punk relaxes on a deckchair at the beach - later this week showers will arrive across Britain

Busy beach: The seafront at Brighton as Britain basking in another day of hot temperatures - and it is set to last until next week

But the heavy storms expected across
the UK are set to cause a washout, with up to 50mm of rain falling in
short periods of time.

Meteogroup forecaster Brendan Jones
said: ‘A large part of England could see temperatures of up to 30C (86F)
today and for most of the country it will be a dry day, which is
particularly humid.

Showers and storms are on the way after the longest heatwave in seven years

‘So while 33C would be about a degree higher than the hottest temperature so far, it will feel even warmer.

‘It is going to be sticky, oppressive and close, and will make things feel quite uncomfortable.’

Picturesque: Ria Dunseith, 27, relaxing amidst a stunning display of lilies in Weymouth on the baking hot south coast of Britain

He added: ‘There could be a few thunderstorms around but they will be isolated, then tonight will be the start of a big change.

‘Throughout the night and into the day
the rain showers will become more widespread, particularly in England,
eastern Wales and southern Scotland.

‘Some areas will see impressive
thunderstorms with torrential rain and lightning. And because the rain
is falling on parched ground it will just run across the surface.’

Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers
said: ‘We’ve issued a yellow weather warning for Tuesday and Wednesday
because up to 50mm of rain could fall in a very short period of time,
which could lead to flash floods.

Al fresco dining: Picnic baskets are left waiting for members in the Coronation Gardens at Lord's

Endurance: Army reserve recruits taking part in a cross country run exercise in the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, testing their skill in how to survive out in the field on one of the hottest days of the year

‘It’s the same pattern for the rest of
the week because of low pressure, but there will be some sunshine and
temperatures in the mid-twenties. Towards the end of the week the
showers should clear up and be accompanied by sun, but temperatures
won’t be as high as they have been in the last week.’

Despite the deluge of rain, temperatures will still remain warm on Tuesday, with potential highs of 30C (86F) in the East.

Temperatures will then fall gradually towards the mid-twenties over the rest of the week, which is above average for July.

Retailers will be particularly sorry to see the end of the heatwave after reporting a huge spike in sales of sun-related items.

Heath fire: Sunbathers were forced to flee a beach in Poole, Dorset, as a fire breaked out close to where they were lying. Firefighters said the blaze was a suspected arson attack

Blaze near the beach: A fire, at the beauty spot of Ham Common, on Poole Harbour, Dorset, burned for several hours, destroying giant swathes of protected nature reserve

Department store John Lewis said that
sales of air conditioners rose by 2,100 per cent last week, while picnic
hamper sales rose by 320 per cent.

Beaches across the UK have also been left with only standing room as families flocked to bask in the unusually warm weather.

BROCCOLI THROWN AWAY

Thousands of pounds’ worth of broccoli are being thrown away, after a cold spring followed by hot weather created a glut that can’t be sold.British farms are seeing three times as much of the vegetable as normal, but with supermarkets already expecting to sell 400 tonnes this month alone, there’s little demand for the surplus.Farmer Matt Gedney is set to lose £20,000 after harvesting an extra 14 tonnes a week on top of his usual six tonnes on his 70 acres in Southfleet, Kent. He said: ‘Most people view broccoli as something you have in the winter with warming meals like a roast dinner.’

But the fortnight of high temperatures
has also had an adverse effect on the country.

The longest spell of
heat in Britain since 2006 triggered a spate of wild fires in London,
mountain blazes in the Welsh valleys and forest fires in Fife, Scotland,
as well as prompting a surge in the number of people attending hospital
with breathing difficulties, heatstroke and dehydration.

The heatwave is thought to have caused 760 premature deaths, mainly due to heart attacks triggered by the high temperatures.

Gritters even took to the roads in Hampshire over the weekend to spray a fine stone dust to prevent the tarmac from melting.

Council staff trying to beat the heatwave have been banned from wearing flip-flops to work.

Bosses at Plymouth City Council told
workers they needed to dress more conservatively, and ruled that turning
up in the open-toed summer shoes was out of the question.